Florida hires Duke OC Kurt Roper to replace Brent Pease

By Chip Patterson | College Football/Basketball Writer

December 24, 2013 4:35 PM ET

Duke offensive coordinator Kurt Roper will take the same position on Will Muschamp's staff at Florida. According to CBS Sports' Bruce Feldman, Roper will remain on the Blue Devils staff for the Chick-fil-A Bowl against Texas A&M on Dec. 31.

Florida made the news official on Thursday, with Muschamp praising Roper's "up-tempo" background in an official release.

"I'm excited to have Coach Roper join our staff," Muschamp said. "He has a diverse, up-tempo background on offense and does a good job of adapting to what the players do best. The most important thing though is he has always remained balanced.

"He has had success calling plays in the SEC and has tutored three NFL quarterbacks. He has had players produce at every offensive position and he is one of the most well-respected coaches in the country."

Roper replaces Brent Pease, who was fired during the fallout of the program's worst regular season finish (4-8) since 1979. An injury-riddled Gators offense ranked last in the SEC in total offense and scoring, ranking No. 110 nationally with a 4.79 yards per play average.

Roper, a longtime protege of David Cutliffe, has gained a rep for grooming quarterbacks. Both coaches helped developing Eli Manning at Ole Miss and later turned Thad Lewis into an NFL quarterback and Sean Renfree into a draft pick. Roper's next project will be former five-star recruit Jeff Driskel.